I was just about to express my same astonishment. Just unbelievable, must be marketing blindness and how confident would you be going sailing with a new mast with the exact same spec, produced by the same "qualified" people same processes etc than the one that let you down not that long ago...

19th May 2008 06:16 PM

geo

I am astonished at seeing how people can ever keep choosing, among products with similar characteristics and performances, the one that will or could give them troubles.
There are a few makes that produce sails in the same league (at least) as NP ones: Gaastra, Maui Sails, North Sails (strictly in alphabetic order), maybe others. None of them have had the same problems with masts (in recent times at least) as Neil Pryde, none of them provide or try or threat to provide reduced or limited warranties on masts. Why should one still buy Neil Pryde race sails then?
More: having a mast replaced is not a solution, unless one has a back up and/or replacement is fast enough to avoid the new sail sitting unused for weeks while the conditions call.

19th May 2008 02:47 AM

Unregistered

the uk sale of good act does not stipulate a time frame- rather that the goods must be reasonably durable. 18 hours is not reasonably durable. If a uk seller was taken to court over this i would bet my bottom dollar that they would lose and the consumer would win. Reasonably durable would probably be at least 1 year- as a minimum. The wording of neil prydes warranty is irrelevant as the contract is between the consumer and the seller, or the shop. The warranty is between the shop/importer and the manufacturer.

secondly Neil pryde is wrong to say that if the mast had a fault it would fail in the first few hours of use. This is bullshit. Fatigue is a major composites failure mode that coud lead to failure over time, use cycles. It seems they are ignoring fatigue - which has got to make you laugh-what a load of shifty shisters!

18th May 2008 09:45 PM

reefmuncher

Actually to me it looks like standard service if they never deny X9 claims.....

This is whay Kevin told me:

"NP accepts or denies warranty claims on X9 masts on a "case by case" basis. In my experience they have not denied any claims on X9 Ultra masts as a customer service. So, I would expect your claim to be honored. I've had very good luck with the new X9 Ultra masts - they seem to be holding up well, but there are always exceptions and NP has honored every claim I've made in those instances. They acknowledge the manufacturer has made some masts incorrectly, so they are being pro-active in honoring warranties as a customer service."

"I think the guys at ASI will be on your side. They'll do what they can to help keep you happy and using the products they sell.

I hope it works out for you...

Thanks, Kevin"

18th May 2008 04:01 PM

Unregistered

What should be a standard basic service looks like a miracle...

18th May 2008 06:07 AM

reefmuncher

Just been checking out old threads.

To be fair to NPUSA I had a 530 X9 of the newer type break on me. It was 9 - 10 months old but used maybe 5 - 7 times. I had rigged the RSS sail and walked to get the board. I heard a big bang and felt my heart sink!

Anyway to make a long story short I wrote Kevin at NP Maui just for reassurance and asked what he would do and he said they would most likely cover it. So the claim was sent to Adventure sports and within a month I had a new mast sent!

I have to say I was very relieved and it restored my confidence in the service. I have always liked their sails, I hope the breakage was a one off!

20th February 2008 04:13 AM

Bill

Reminder

Quote:

Originally Posted by wk

Hi guys,

My dealer offered to replace the top piece of the X9 ultra

Sounds like a personal service and going the extra mile for the customer by the dealer.

I support what JJay has to say. I also believe that having a good local dealer is a huge benefit when it comes to problems related to service and warrantee issues.

A good local dealer knows (through experience) which manufactures and distributors stand behind their gear, as well as shipping orders in a timely way.

No question that the dealer network has been strained for many years, but supporting those that remain in business is good for all of us. You may save a few $ purchasing over the internet, but if something breaks or doesn't work right, good luck.

19th February 2008 05:56 PM

JJay

Hey there WK,,,,,,

Hi wk,,,,
A lot has been written on this thread. And i'm sure none of it makes you feel any better.
So when you get finished burning all your NP sails, call your local North Sails agent and order yourself some new gear!
I'm not attacking whoever sold you the mast, as i don't know if you were represented well by them. Maybe they went to bat for you and got refused by NP? I don't know?
However, as other posters on this thread have stated, having a rep/dealer/retailer who will give you personal service and go the extra mile for you is priceless and is part of the criteria I use for choosing a brand.
Your local North Sails agent is totally committed to her customers. The main reason i've become such a loyal and satisfied North customer is in fact due to her after sales support. I myself, and a number of others, continue to be loyal to her and the brand even though we are not living or sailing in your country.

So relax, buy an 08 warp, and go faster.

19th February 2008 02:53 AM

Unregistered

It's a good to know how the warranty is interpreted when you're thinking of buying something.
However in the UK at least 'fit for purpose for what it's sold' is overriding and a small claims procedure doesn't need a lawyer, and can be done over the nethttp://www.adviceguide.org.uk/index/...all_claims.htm
I recently got a free replacement for a non WS item out of guarantee just by threating this action.

But sure brand reputation counts for most, and NP formula masts are known to be for the 'bleeding edge' buyer only.

PaulM

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